Expands the boundaries of the Thrall public library district of Middletown and Wallkill; requires the residents of the area to approve the expansion by a vote.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10420--C
IN ASSEMBLY
March 14, 2002
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Libraries and Education Technology -- committee discharged,
bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said
committee -- again reported from said committee with amendments,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee --
reported and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend chapter 398 of the laws of 2000 relating to creating the
Thrall public library district of Middletown and Wallkill, in relation
to extending the boundaries of such public library district and renam-
ing it the Middletown Thrall Regional public library district
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 1 of chapter 398 of the laws of 2000 relating to
2 creating the Thrall public library district of Middletown and Wallkill,
3 as amended by chapter 13 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as
4 follows:
5 Section 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or
6 local law to the contrary, there is hereby created and established in
7 the county of Orange a public library district which shall include: 1.
8 the geographic boundaries consisting of the enlarged city school
9 district of Middletown, all of the town of Wallkill with the exception
10 of those properties located within the Goshen central school district;
11 but shall include all portions of the Valley Central school district,
12 the Pine Bush central school district and the Minisink Valley central
13 school district to the extent of their portions located within the town
14 of Wallkill only, and that portion of the town of Mount Hope which is
15 located within the Pine Bush central school district.
16 2. all of the additional portions contained within the Minisink Valley
17 central school district including portions of the town of Wawayanda,
18 Mount Hope, Greenville and Minisink, that are included within such
19 school district.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15150-04-2
A. 10420--C 2
1 The public library shall be known as the Middletown Thrall Regional
2 public library district [of Middletown and Wallkill].
3 § 2. Chapter 398 of the laws of 2000 relating to creating the Thrall
4 public library district of Middletown and Wallkill is amended by adding
5 a new section 2-a to read as follows:
6 § 2-a. Additional election. 1. The expansion of the Middletown Thrall
7 Regional public library district to include subdivision two of section
8 one of this act shall not occur unless it is approved by a public vote
9 of the residents of the current library district and the residents of
10 the area described in subdivision two of section one of this act. Upon
11 receipt of a petition signed by not less than two hundred voters quali-
12 fied to vote at a general election such petition must have the signa-
13 tures of at least one hundred residents from the area the library covers
14 prior to November 30, 2002, and at least one hundred signatures from
15 residents of the area to be incorporated into the library district
16 pursuant to subdivision two of section one of this act, the board of
17 elections shall give notice of an election to be held no later than
18 November 30, 2002. If a majority of the voters approve the expansion of
19 the district, then such expansion shall occur effective January 1, 2003.
20 At said election the issue shall be:
21 (a) whether the public library district herein described shall be
22 expanded to include all of the area identified as the Minisink Valley
23 central school district within the county of Orange effective January 1,
24 2003;
25 (b) whether the board of trustees of the Middletown Thrall Regional
26 public library district should be expanded from its current seven
27 members to nine members;
28 (c) whether the budget therefor proposed by the board of trustees of
29 the Middletown Thrall Regional public library district for the 2003
30 fiscal year shall be approved or disapproved.
31 The trustees of the Middletown Thrall Regional public library district
32 shall give notice of said election by the publication of a notice in one
33 or more newspapers having a general circulation in the district to be
34 served. The first publication of such notice shall be not less than
35 thirteen days and not more than twenty days prior to the date of such
36 election. In addition, the board of trustees of the Middletown Thrall
37 Regional public library district shall cause copies of such notice to be
38 posted conspicuously in at least five public places including the town
39 or city halls of all communities within the new proposed boundaries of
40 the district at least fourteen days but not more than twenty days prior
41 to the date of such election. Such notice shall specify the date, time
42 and place where such election will be held, the issues to be decided at
43 said election and the hours during which polls will be open for the
44 receipt of ballots thereof at all elections from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00
45 p.m. There shall be at least two polling locations, one in the present
46 Middletown Thrall Regional public library district, and one in the
47 expansion area of the Minisink Valley school district. The board of
48 trustees of the Middletown Thrall Regional public library district shall
49 designate a resident qualified voter of its district to act as chair-
50 person of any election and shall designate not less than two nor more
51 than four resident qualified voters at each polling place to act as
52 election inspectors or ballot clerks. No library trustee, elected school
53 board members, or elected office holder in any of the communities
54 included in the proposed enlarged district may act as chairperson,
55 election inspector or ballot clerk. Trustees of the Middletown Thrall
56 Regional public library district board may adopt legislation providing
A. 10420--C 3
1 that the chairperson, election inspectors and ballot clerks shall be
2 paid for their respective services. Every voter, otherwise qualified to
3 vote at a general election within the area of the proposed enlarged
4 library district shall be qualified to vote in this referendum. After
5 the polls have closed at said election, the election inspectors and the
6 ballot clerks shall immediately publicly canvas the ballots and the
7 chairperson of the election shall publicly announce the results. Within
8 seventy-two hours thereafter the trustees of the Middletown Thrall
9 Regional public library district shall certify the results of the
10 election.
11 2. The expanded district proposed pursuant to this section will be
12 considered to have been approved if a majority of the qualified voters
13 casting ballots on the appointed day shall have voted "yes" to such
14 proposal.
15 3. In the event that the expanded district is approved and two new
16 seats are added to the board of trustees of the Middletown Thrall
17 Regional public library district the following shall occur:
18 (a) At the next general election of the Middletown Thrall Regional
19 public library district, all voters in the expanded district shall be
20 allowed to participate and ballot to fill all vacancies on the board of
21 trustees including the two new positions and any other matters the
22 library board may bring forward for a vote.
23 (b) Trustee candidates will be required to file nominating petitions
24 in accordance with the rules established by the board of the Middletown
25 Thrall Regional public library district for all of its trustee
26 elections.
27 (c) The terms of the newly elected trustees will be determined by the
28 following: the two candidates with the most votes will get four-year
29 terms, the next winning candidate or candidates will get a three-year
30 term or terms.
31 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
